Episode 10: The Book of Eli

In Episode one we explored the post-apocalyptic landscape of The Road, so it only seems appropriate that we revisit it in our Book of Eli discussion, here in Episode ten.

Listen as Mike and Veer discuss gas masks, the Bible, and the newest, lush vacation spot, Alcatraz. 

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Devil’s DVD Advocacy: A Serious Man

When attempting to categorize comedy, there are roughly three types that come to mind. One is the normal kind of comedy, full of ironic jokes and punch lines. Another is slapstick, overly dramatic falls to the ground and what-not. The third is black comedy, where the audience doesn’t laugh so much as wince at the misfortune that befalls those in the film. Joel and Ethan Coen have become the masters of such a realm (primarily for Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and most recently, Burn After Reading).

Devil’s DVD Disappointment: Couples Retreat

Seeing the previews for Couples Retreat and seeing the big name actors like Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, and Jason Bateman, it looked like comedy gold from first glance. In Olympic terms, I give it a bronze medal, close to silver however. While flaws were evident, the film did amuse.

Chaser DVD Review (Just For The Hell of It)

Chugyeoja (The Chaser) is a 2008 Korean suspense/ thriller film, about a shady ex- detective; Joong- Ho Eom (Yee- Seok Kim) turns pimp, trying to run a failing escort service, he comes to the conclusion that the “working girls” he employed are skipping out without paying him his cut of their services. Rapidly losing “employees” and not getting paid, Joong starts to believe that it’s more than coincidence. Coming across a re-occurring cell number linked to the women who have gone missing, he sends out one of the last of his working girls Mi-Jin Kim ( Yeong -Hie Seo). Mi- Jin enters what seems to be the home of a single man Young – Min Jee (Jung- Woo Ha) and turns out he’s more than just guy looking for an escort Girl. And in this roller coaster of a non- stop thriller, Joong has to find his missing working girls and and unravel the mystery of the disappearances.

What Oscar Noms Got Right (Mad As Hell Op-Ed Piece)

Ahhh yes leave it up to James Cameron to make a billion dollars, and still be whining about something. Sci Fi Wire has it that the Academy has been criticized by James Cameron and his lackey producer for not nominating Zoe Saldana for a best actress award. My response to this is…REALLY????? As an actor I find this disturbing. James Cameron was quoted as saying “People confuse what we have done with animation…It’s nothing like animation. The creator here is the actor, not the unseen hand of an animator.” No I’m sorry it’s not it doesn’t matter if they were wearing the funny suits.

Director Spotlight: I Vitelloni

I watched this film with my father, knowing that this would be in his wheelhouse, being that he is a foreign film fanatic.  Upon finishing the film my father said, “Of all the Fellini films I’ve seen, this one had the least amount of  symbolism.”  That could be entirely true, being that this is my first Fellini, but the film is certainly not without symbolism.

Academy…I Renounce Thee (A Mad As Hell Op-Ed Piece)

The Academy Award Nominations have been announced.  The Best Picture category, the category that pretty much determines what will be nominated in most other categories, has swollen from five films to ten films this year.  The idea was that films that might be on the cusp, like 2008’s The Dark Knight, might stand a chance at the coveted award.  

Director Spotlight: Federico Fellini

Since I’m a sucker for alliteration, I decided that we would be looking at the fundamental films of Federico Fellini in February.  That, and we get a chance to look at 8 1/2 and perhaps see it’s influence on Nine. 

Follow as we fill our Fellini fissures.  

Feb 3: I Vitelloni

Feb 10: La Dolce Vita

Feb 17: 8 1/2

Feb 24: Amarcord

Devil’s DVD Advocacy: Zombieland

I know where I want to go when the apocalypse hits. I want to go to Zombieland.

Zombieland is different from most movies in the genre. It has a great sense of humor to it and is one of the best comedies and movies of the year. It is a fun romp through a hell on Earth from start to finish. Zombieland is the latest movie in the recent zombie revival to hit the big screen.

Legion (Devil’s Advocate Review)

Delivering a biblical ass whooping to the non-believers of the horror genre, Legion capitalizes on intense action and seriously scary scenarios. Legion defies what you would think of a film based on biblical angels as it doesn’t really delve into the mythology at all. I don’t know much about the roles of the different angels and it honestly wasn’t important in this particular story. The whole story is focused on moving the action along. There is no unnecessary depth or pointless tangents. There is just enough character development to give you a sense that these characters could be anybody. The film pits a diverse cast of characters fatefully thrust into an impossible situation out in the middle of nowhere. Combining an interesting mix of religious mythos and Zombie horror Legion becomes unlike anything I’ve previously experience. It doesn’t re-invent the wheel, but is more or less a new tire on and old-timey wooden frame: interesting to say the least. Overall, Legion is an entertaining adventure and a good excuse to put angels to war and deliver awesome action from the heavens. For making the purity of the paradise here-after as demented as H-E-double-tooth-picks, I give this crusade 3.5 pitchforks.

Legion

I am awaiting confirmation, but it seems to me that Hollywood wants the world to end. Okay that may be a little harsh, but for more than a decade now the number of apololiptic or end of the world films has increased. From natural phenomena to biblical prophecy, we have over the years watched this world end, the aftermath and even the salvation of mankind. Sony now introduces their vision of the End of Days in the 2010 release of Legion.

Episode 9: Extraordinary Measures

This week Veer and Mike discuss true desperation and what it takes to get top billing over Han Freakin’ Solo.

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Actor Spotlight: The Merchant of Venice

“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?”

The Merchant of Venice is a film based on the William Shakespeare comedy of the same name.   I say comedy, but it is also pretty dramatic as well. Actually, the film adaptation plays much more like a drama with moments of comedic relief. 

Extraordinary Measures

Extraordinary Measures or, as I like to call it, Indiana Jones and The Lost Enzyme of Pompe is a pretty ordinary film overall.  So ordinary that it could have easily been a CBS movie of the week. 

Devil’s DVD Disappointment: Saw VI

Incredibly they actually have gotten away with making 6 of these films, and yet it’s claiming to be a juggernaut franchise to make even more? The weekend has barely passed and shooting for the 7th film has already gone under way. To me, that’s jumping the gun and showing no regard for the success of the previous film, and that’s more of an attitude that the film makers are just going to continue on and on with the series until the viewers lose complete interest.

Devil’s DVD Advocacy: Whip It

It’s tough to be original in Hollywood these days. Sure, you can occasionally find a unique idea or two, but if it’s too new, producers won’t want to back it. Instead, they’d prefer tried and true ideas that have proven themselves capable of making money. Whip It, the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore and starring Ellen Page, does not cover any new ground in the area of coming-of-age tales, except maybe the concept of roller derby as a means of belonging. Instead, it embraces the classics and reminds its audience of the ability to imbue oneself with initiative and pride and to fulfill anything one desires.

Good Hair

Chris Rock’s Good Hair is a documentary that looks at what “good hair” means to African-Americans in our part of the world. It’s an incredibly funny and thought provoking movie. The movie brings up a lot of discussion on what hair means to different people. Although it never judges anyone directly it does poke fun at a few people and companies that take hair and themselves too seriously.  Always funny.  Never judging.

The Spy Next Door (Lil Devil)

I admit it; when I see Jackie Chan’s name on anything, I’m instintly curious about what has he gotten himself into this time. In his latest release The Spy Next Door, he plays….wait for it….A Chinese National who has been “loaned” out to the CIA (at this point in time I’d like to point out that the likleyhood that the Chinese government would loan out anyone to the United States is beyond words I can use in a family friendly article). Yeah, raise your hand if you’ve scene a version of this before. Seriously though, Jackie is at home in the film. You get exactly what you expect from him; moments of unbelievable martial arts skill and the predictable slapstick.

The Book of Eli (Devil’s Advocates Review)

For those looking for a good ole fashioned Christian-themed blockbuster but thought The Chronicles of Narnia too childish or Fireproof too horrible, The Book of Eli may be a perfect fit. Never before has so much bloodshed and so many decapitations come together in the name of The Book (well, at least if you don’t count real life).

The Book of Eli

Every actor gets to a point where they want to do a vanity project simply for vanity’s sake. Book of Eli is Denzel Washington’s vanity project. Washington, the son of a Pentecostal preacher, plays the protagonist in the film who carries a shotgun and a sword, but his main weapon is his faith.

Actor Spotlight: The Devil’s Advocate (Not the famous movie review site, but rather the film)

Al Pacino is an actors actor. To every part he brings that special something to make his role an instant classic. From a softly spoken line to the occasional hoo wah he gets the job done. Sometime it makes me wonder if he can make a bad movie. The Devil’s Advocate had the makings of a potential disaster. Keanu Reeves crappy southern accent is enough to bring the ship down. However thanks to the genius of an Al Pacino that does not happen. Enough of my acting man crush lets talk about the movie.

Episode 8: Leap Year

This week Veer and Mike reveal Leap Year to be an affront to the Women’s Lib movement and discuss making good career decisions. 

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Devil’s DVD Disappointment: Gamer

I really wanted to like this film; after all I personally feel that Michael C. Hall (Showtime’s Dexter) and Kyra Sedgwick (TNT’s The Closer) are on top of their respective games in their current incarnations on television. I wanted to see how Gerard Butler (300) would grow as an actor after leading us against a force of thousands in his last movie. I even wanted to even see if Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor could outgrow the Crank franshise. In the end Gamer for the lack of a better phrase, has no game.

Devil’s DVD Advocacy: The Invention of Lying

Who doesn’t like a little self-deprecating humor now and then? I did say “a little” right? The Invention of Lying was written by the film’s star, Ricky Gervais, and there is a wide expanse of little pot shots at his weight, height, and other various features strewn all throughout the film. The interesting part is that these remarks are born out of the notion that nobody can tell a lie. My question is: sure people can’t lie, but are they allowed to use a modicum of candor when speaking to or about people?

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Terry Gilliam never disappoints me. I know that when I see his film it will be like nothing I’ve ever seen before. At the age of 10 I found Time Bandits and I was hooked.  The Imaginarium… was an artistic wonder. Once again I’m torn with the Avatar problem.  Visually I found the film to be a work of art; however the plot a little muddled.  It seems to me it’s a movie best set for The Music Box, and not the Cineplex. That’s not to say I didn’t dig it. I don’t think the average movie viewer will.

Youth in Revolt

Cera grows a mustache despite the rumors.

Young men will always in their innocence believe that they can make a difference; that they can make their own mark in this world.  Youth in Revolt is a traditional coming of age film with a familiar twist; the nice guy trying not to finish last. 

Actor Spotlight: Serpico

As a change of pace, we will begin 2010 and this year’s Spotlights focusing on an actor instead of a director, and to start us off is one of the greats from the New Hollywood era: Al Pacino. Now we all know his big break in the film industry (after the lead in The Panic in Needle Park, a warning against heroin addiction) was Coppola casting him in The Godfather over several more established actors such as Warren Beatty and Robert Redford. But it was 1973’s Serpico, directed by Sidney Lumet and with Pacino in the titular role, that proved he wasn’t a one-trick pony and could play a character outside of the criminal element.

Actor Spotlight: Sea of Love

Whoo-ahh, it’s Al Pacino month here on the site.  No i’m not reviewing Scent of a Woman.  My review is of a film done three years before that, 1989’s Sea of Love.  Sitting down the other night watching this with my wife made us laugh.  No this isn’t a comedy, we laughed that you can always tell an 80’s movie by the cheesy theme music played in the background in the credits and at certain points throughout the film.

Devil’s DVD Advocacy: Big Fan

Before you read this article, I want you to know that Big Fan is in no way a comedy. Forget the fact that the movie stars my favorite comedian for the last 5 years or so, Patton Oswalt, or that it was written/directed by Robert Siegel, the former editor-in-chief of The Onion. It is a dramatic character study, through and through. So instead, try to keep in mind that Oswalt has done serious work recently in Dollhouse and United States of Tara, and Siegel wrote The Wrestler last year, another film in the same vein of a sports movie without sappy messages. Also featuring Kevin Corrigan and Michael Rapaport, Big Fan paints a sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes frustrating, but always sincere portrait of a man so dominated by his love of football that even a personal trauma exacted by his hero may not be enough to set him free. But while it may not lift your heart, it will absolutely win you over with its inspired acting and passionate direction; believe me, this one is GOOD! 

Devil’s DVD Advocacy: The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker is an action-packed yet serious look at the war in Iraq as seen through the eyes of a military bomb squad. In it, we follow a U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit (EOD) as it gets a new leader for their last month in Iraq. That’s how we meet James (Jeremy Renner from 28 Weeks Later), the new EOD squad leader. He’s been transferred to Iraq from Afghanistan and immediately starts to do things his way. Like, stopping a speeding taxi while on his way to inspect IED’s by standing in it’s way and shooting out the windows when the driver refuses to obey orders. “If he wasn’t an insurgent he is one now.”, James says as Marines yank the driver out of the taxi.